Vehicle wheel



zmsgsm .He 3U, E936. c. L. EKSERGIAN VEHICLE WHEEL Filed May 8, 1934 INVENTOR. CARQLUSLEKSERGIAN.

\ FIGB FICA W *l ATTOREY.'

Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE WHEEL Application May 8, 1934,`Seral No. '724,475

8 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels and particularly to pressed sheet metal wheels of the artillery type.

Among the objects of the invention are to reduce the number of parts, coordinate the elements to provide improved bracing effects, adequately seal a hollow section wheel part against `the admission of foreign matter, and to form and combine the load sustaining, sealing and bracing members in new and effective shapes and relations. A Y

Other objects .include reducing .the Weight, consistent with. adequate strength, preventing deleterious service effects, facilitating fabrication, assembly, welding, installation and manipulation, reducing the cost and simplifying the shapes of dies employed in manufacture, and effectively drawing thev metalin the dies.

.A further object is to provide a device of the above-indicated character thatr shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and effectivein its operation.

`In wheels of the hollowrsection sheet metal type, various forms and modes of assembly and welding may be. employed for variousreasons, such `as the loads to be sustained, .the types of vehiclesto be supported, theA number, size, shape andrspacing f appurtenant parts, with which the wheels are associated, and other factors; certain conditions requiring wheels ofone kind and distribution of parts and other conditions Vrequiring others.

In the instant case, a .sheet metal wheel, or its equivalent, is .preferably constructed of only three unit stampings, which when cooperatively assembled and secured together, outline.. a wheel defined by a radiallyl inner bolting-on flange, or similar supporting annulus, and a hollow section body preferably disposed .substantially entirely radially outwardlyof the flange;I this body having front and rear walls spaced substantial axial distances adjacentjto thev flange and including, vas a major feature `of the invention, an annulus Vpreferably of single layer thickness constituted at once, both as an, axial brace for the Walls and asa closure for the hollow section body. This annulusmay also be constituted as a hub shell or hub cap support, andV be variously formed as a separate entity, orY as a part of one ofk the other stampings'as will herein appear.

In a preferred form, a rear part defines axially outwardly, in succession from the bolting-on flange, a cone body diverging rearwardly from the flange and having front-opening shallow- `channel spoke portions closed at the outer ends.

A front element similarly deiines an annular seat, either radially inwardly from, or as part of the nave inwardly from the spokes, a conical nave, and rear-opening deep channel spoke portions cooperating with the rear spoke portions to form composite tubular spokes.

' The combined brace and closure annulus com prises a rear margin orA angle section disposed in side-surface or nesting relation tothe rear member, preferably on, or adjacent to, the radially outer perimeter of the bolting-on flange and Vspot welded thereto. This annulus projects axially forwardly. as a cone or cylinder into side-surface or nesting relation to the front element to better distribute theload forces and to facilitate spot welding, and, as above indicated, may be a separate entity, an integral element of one of the other stampings, extend forwardly ofthe front body member, and be variously constituted, as will be more apparent from aconsideration of the .following description and accompanying drawing, in which Fig. A1l is an axial section, Athrough the center ofv a spoke. of a portion of ka wheel Aembodying the invention, and Y Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are views similar vto Fig.` 1, of modied forms thereof; corresponding parts in all of the figures being designated by vcorresponding reference characters.

Referring, to Fig. 1, a sheet-metal rear spider 30 stamping, preferably of heavy gauge and of radially-outwardly-tapering thickness, includes a radially-inner short axial flange 6, a radial bolting-'on flange 1, a conical body 8 diverging rear- 'wardly from the outer perimeter of the flange 435 'I and a `reverse-curve section 9 on the body 8 `merging into spoke portions I0 of front-opening shallow channel section closed at the outer ends by elements I I.

A front spider stamping comprises outer-end spoke closures I2, rear-opening deep-channel 'spokes I 4, .and a conical nave I5 having an invturned flange margin or seat I6 radially inwardlyof the spokes. The front and rear spiders arepreferably joined .with the spoke portions Il! and I4, and the end closures II and I2, in abutvting edge flash welded relation, as indicated yby *a 'line I1. The composite end closure, thus formed, is suitably joinedas by rivets I9,-to a rimV I8, shown as of a standard drop-center type.

A radially-inner annulus includes a rear-end margin or angle section disposed in side-surface preferably spot-welded relation to the rear vspider adjacent to the outer perimeter of the lbolting-on flange l, and extends, as a forwardlydiverging cone 2| into side-surface or nesting relation to the seat I6, to which it is preferably spot welded. 'I'he cone 2| merges, through a curved section, into a forwardly-projecting hub shell 22 symmetrically continuing the front-side contour of the front spider and having a front inner radial iiange 23.

In Fig. 2, the rear spiderstamping -has a reverse-curve section 24 4forming a nesting seat for a similarly curved ange 25 on an extension 26 of the front spider and taking the place of the brace section 2l of Fig. 1. The hub shell 22 has a flange 21 preferably spot welded in nesting within sidesurface engagement with the extension brace portion 26. Also, in Fig. V2, alternate securing means, for the units I9 between the spoke end closures and the rim, are in the form of weld plugs 28; other securing means further being contemplated.

In Fig. 3, the reverse-curveA section 9` is replaced by a simple curve section 29., and a reverse-curve section 24 provided between the cone body 8 and the flange l constituting arresting seat for aradial flange 3| on an annular brace 32 having a front margin 33 nesting a seat 34 on the nave l5, thus rendering the intersecting or nesting portions of reinforced laminated section carrying buttons or other means for the reception of hub cap 35,.

In Fig. 4, vthe front and rear spiders are similar to those of Fig. 3, but the cross-brace closure annulus comprises a reverse-curve section 36 nesting the section 24, and a cylindrical axial section .37| nesting a radially-inner annulus 38 of the nave 1.5, to which it is spot welded and from which it extends forwardly in the form of an ornamented hub shell or hub cap Asupport 39.

In Fig. .5, the rear spider is `similar to that of Fig. .1, for cooperation, near the radially-outer perimeter of the flange 1, with a .flange 40 on a cone brace 4| having a frnnt .seat42 nesting an angle-section seat 43 on the nave 115, which supports a .hub-cap 44,. Y

The parts may, of course, be variously otherwise arranged, such as having the brace .a part .of the flange 1 or -of the rear :spidenpr of the frontspider and the fbolting-on liange; such featuresfbeing deemed apparent from, `and equivalent to, the structures shown and as unnecessary or redundant for illustration.

While by way of illustration and example I have described -my invention lin connection with .preferred embodiments thereof as to structure, and the vpref-erred manner of practicing it, it will -be obvious vto those VSkil-led in the art, after understanding the foregoing, that various changes and modications 4may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What I lclaim is:

1. Ari Vartillery steel wheel comprising ataper gauge one-piece 'rear spider stamping having radially outwardly successively, an axial iiange, a bolting-on flange, fa rearwardly diverging cone and front opening shallow channel spoke portions closed at the -outer ends, a one-piece lightergauge front spider stamping element including rear opening spoke portions of deep channel section closed at 4the outer-end secured to and co- -operatingwith the rear spider spoke portions to fer-m closed end tubular composite spokes and embodying La conical =nave having an annular generally axially extending seat radiallyinwardly .of

the spokes, :and .an annular :one-piece sheet metal element of lighter-gauge than the rear spider including a cooperating seat nesting within said front spider seat, one of said elements also including an annular rearward extension having a substantially radial rear end ange secured in side surface engagement with the radially outer margin of said bolting-on flange.

2. An artillery steel wheel comprising a rear spider stamping having extending radially outwardly successively, a bolting-on flange, a rearwardly diverging cone and front opening channel spoke portions, a front spider stamping element including rear opening spoke portions of channel section 4secured 4to and cooperating with the rear spider spoke portions to form tubular composite spokes and embodying a conical nave having an annular generally axially extending seat radially inwardly of the spokes, and an annular hollow y section element including a cooperating seat nesting within said front spider seat, one of said elements also including 4an annular rearward extension'having a rear end margin secured in side surface engagement with the rear spider adjacent to the outer perimeter of the bolting-on ange,

3. An artillery steel wheel comprising a rear spider having extending radially .outwardly successively, a bolting-on flange, a rearwardly -divergi-ng cone and spoke portions, a front spider element lincluding hollow .spoke portions marginally lsecured to and cooperating with said rear spider spoke vportions to form hollowlcomposite Vspokes and embodying a nave having .an annuiar generally axially extending seat radially inwardly ofthe spokes, and an annular hollow section element including a cooperating seat nest- Aing within said front spider seat, one of said elements also including an annular rearward extension having a rear end margin secured .in side surface engagement with the Arear spider adiacent to the outer perimeter of the bolting-on flange.

4. An artillery steel wheel comprising three one-piece sheet metal members cooperatively assembled and secured together in a structure defined b y a radially inner bolting-on ange and a hollow body voutwardly of said flange including Va rear wall extension of said ange of corneal section diverging rearwardly from the flange and having spoke portions, an annulus secured to and projecting forwardly from adjacent vto the radially outer limits of the flange, and a front element including .hollow spoke portions secured to and cooperating with said first spoke portions to form hollow composite spokes, and a conical .nave having 4a generally axially extending portion radially inwardly of the spokes overlapping .and joining a portion `of said forwardly projectingannulus at a position spaced a .substantial axial distance from .the flange.

A5. A `vehicle wheel comprising three one-piece sheet metal members Vcooperatively assembled and .secured together inastructure deiined by a radially inner bolting-on flange and a hollow vbody outwardly .of said flange including a rear body wall vextension Iof said flangeof conical section .diverging rearwardly lfrom the flange, an -annulus secured to and projecting forwardly from adjacent to the radially outer vlimits of the flange, and a front body element having a generally axially extending annular portion overlapped with and joined to a portion of said forwardly projecting annulus :at -a position spaced a substantial axial :distance from the flange.

5. An Aartillery steel wheel comprising a rear n;

spider stamping including a bolting-on flange. a conical body diverging rearwardly from the outer perimeter of the ilange and spoke portions on the body, an annulus secured to and projecting forwardly from the rear spider adjacent to the outer perimeter of the ange, and a front spider stamping including spokes of rear opening channel section secured to and cooperating with said rear spider spoke portions to form composite spokes of tubular section and a nave having an annular axially extending margin radially inwardly of the spokes in which said annulus nests at an axially intermediate position substantially offset from the annulus ends, the outer portion of said annulus comforming generally to the contour of the front spider.

k'7. An artillery steel wheel comprising a rear spider stamping including a bolting-on ilange, a conical body diverging rearwardly from the outer perimeter of the flange and spoke portions on the body, and a front spider stamping including spoke portions of rear opening channel section secured to and cooperating with said rear spider spoke portions to form tubular spokes and a conical nave having an annular reversely conical portion extending radially inwardly of the spokes and extending rearwardly to, and nesting, with the rear spider adjacent to said outer perimeter and secured thereto, said portion terminating outwardly of the bolting-on flange.

8. An artillery steel wheel comprising a rear spider stamping including a bolting-on flange, a conical body diverging rearwardly from the outer perimeter of the ange and spoke portions on the body, a front spider stamping including spoke portions of rear opening channel section secured to and cooperating with said rear spider spoke portions to form tubular composite spokes and a nave having a front hub cap mounting flange, and an annulus having a rear end margin nesting with and secured to the rear spider adjacent to said flange perimeter and a front end 20 margin nesting within and secured to said hub cap mounting flange.

CAROLUS L. EKSERGIAN. 

